My First Officer is the Devil
by bassocontinuo
Summary: A continuation of the episode The Apple and the events on Gamma Trianguli VI resulting in the deaths of four crewmen of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Captain Kirk has difficulty coping his recent mistakes, and takes his frustration out on his unsuspecting First Officer. But things do not go as planned...
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

This fic is based on the episode The Apple. It might not be a bad idea to read a recap of the episode, but it's not totally necessary. You may notice that I've changed the dialog somewhat to make the end scene flow into the rest of the story, but the tone ought to be the same. Anyway, I'll shut up for now. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek or any of these characters. They are the property of Gene Rodenberry, Paramount, and Max Ehrlich who wrote the episode of TOS that inspired this fic.

* * *

**My First Officer is the Devil: Part 1**

"I don't agree with you at all, Mr. Spock"

"That's not unusual, Doctor."

Captain James T. Kirk walks ahead of his two senior officers inwardly groaning at what will undoubtedly be another one of their arguments. Oftentimes, Kirk manages to find some humor in them, but not today. Today there are larger troubles weighing on him.

"Hey Jim, I want you to hear this." McCoy says reaching out to Kirk. He grabs the Captain's arm and spins him around to face the pair.

Kirk rolls his eyes and tilts his head to the left. "Proceed, Mr. Spock."

"Captain, I am not at all certain that we did the right thing on Gamma Trianguli VI" Spock says calmly and without hesitation. He states it plainly, as a statement of fact, but Kirk searches his First Officer's face carefully for signs of condemnation and regret. Particularly, for any emotion directed at himself, but as usual, if there is anything, it remains hidden behind the Vulcan's serene gaze.

McCoy, however, is less controlled. "We put those people back on a normal course of social evolution! I see nothing wrong with that." His words are sharp. Bitter. And this time, Kirk agrees with his medical officer in principal.

"Well that's a good object lesson, Mr. Spock. As an example of what can happen when a machine becomes too efficient. Does too much work for you." It's straight forward and the kind of logical explanation that the Vulcan _should_ agree with.

But now Spock hesitates. "Captain, you are aware of the biblical story of Genesis?"

"Yes, of course I am aware of it. Adam and Eve tasted the apple and as a result were driven out of paradise." Another time, on another mission, it was Kirk making a similar analogy to describe their experiences on Omicron Ceti III. _Where is he going with this, _Kirk wonders.

"Precisely, Captain, and in a manner of speaking we have given the people of Vaal the Apple - the knowledge of Good and Evil if you will. As a result of which, they too have been driven out of paradise."

Spock says this, looking down at the Captain, and although outwardly his facial expression does not change, there a hardness in his voice and manner of standing.

Kirk lifts his chin. "Doctor, do I understand him correctly? Are you casting me in the role of the Satan?" Kirk says with a smile more wry than innocent.

Despite this smile, the captain is not at all happy. His body aches after a night spent lying awake on the hard ground trying to think up a plan to save his ship. It has been a long 48 hours and a terrifying experience for all 438 members of the Enterprise, not including the valuable crewmen whose bodies rest in sick bay awaiting funerary rites when their captain is cleared to return to duty. The thought of which brings on a dull ache in his chest.

So when Spock inadvertently sticks his neck out, Kirk leaps on the opportunity to release some pent-up emotion with the veracity of a starving wolf. After all, when one needs to vent some misdirected anger, there really is no one better than a Vulcan to take it all in stride and not get offended.

"No, Captain, not at all." Spock straightens to his full height and folds his hand behind his back. McCoy and Kirk look at each other knowingly. To those not well acquainted with the Vulcan, he cuts a very large and imposing figure when he stands like this; however, it is also a defensive position for him. Spock knows what is coming. He's waiting – preparing his mental defenses for the attack.

"No, no. I think that's exactly what you did, Mr. Spock." Kirk says sliding up to Spock's right side. He tilts his chin up and resists the urge to rock forward onto his toes to make himself appear taller. It is damn infuriating sometimes that evolution saw fit to endow the Vulcan race with their superior height. "Did you hear it, Bones?"

"I suuure did, Jim" McCoy says at Spock's left.

Spock's black eyes make a circuit over Kirk's upper body – studying him while he waits for the verbal blow. Kirk is the clear threat and ring-leader behind this game. Not Dr. McCoy.

"Isn't there someone else on this ship who even remotely looks like Satan? What do you think, Mr. Spock?" Kirk says. He smiles wider now.

The whip is cracked and shockingly, there is a response. "I am not aware of anyone who fits that description, Sir." Spock says as he crosses his arms in front of his chest. If Spock were human, Kirk would say he looked rather annoyed.

_I've got you this time, Spock._

"Hhuuh," Kirk says as if his mind were elsewhere reeling over ship manifests and crew logs. "Really? I could have sworn there was **somebody**. Bones? Anyone come to mind?" Kirk asks and leans across Spock's chest to address the doctor.

"Oh, I don't know, but I seem recall that there might be **one** such person who fits the bill."

Spock turns his head looking down the corridor towards the bridge and away from his colleagues. "I can assure you both that there is not. I am familiar with every living organism presently aboard the Enterprise. I can list them all for you, Captain, perhaps **after** Doctor McCoy has signed off on your medical clearance."

Kirk sighs. _You slippery half-man. _Clearly Spock is not going to give any ground today. One would have thought that after having been shot full poisonous darts, struck by lightning, and forced to stay up all night with his troubled Captain, a man might be just a little unhinged…just a little. But no, not Spock.

"No, not Spock." Kirk mumbles under his breath forgetting that his First Officer can still hear him with his heightened Vulcan auditory abilities. He shakes off his disappointment and slaps Spock playfully across the shoulder. "Well, I'm sure you're right, Mr. Spock, but if you happen to see someone like that on-board report him to me instantly. Is that understood?"

Spock's left eybrow raises. It is the only expression the Vulcan seems capable of on any regular basis. "Affirmative, Captain." Spock finally says. He waits until Kirk and McCoy begin to leave, and turns in the opposite direction heading, most likely, for his quarters.

"Well that was fun. I assume you'll want to check-in on the bridge, but Jim, after that, I want you to go right to bed."

Kirk's smile fades in seconds. "Bones…," he warns. Sleep is the farthest thing from this mind right now.

"Don't fight me, Jim. As your Doctor, I am insisting. That ordeal we went through down there was hellish, and I know how these things affect you. Mallory's death? Just terrible. But you've got to think about your stress levels and what they're doing to your body." McCoy was of course, not referring to any physical injuries sustained by Captain Kirk, but to the mental toll the deaths of four men had taken on him.

_Four men. Dammit. _

"Yeah." Kirk says promising nothing. A skill he excels at.

_Four men are dead because I was too proud and self-absorbed to see the warning signs. _

"I mean it, Jim. Don't make me order a guard to confine you to quarters until you get a good night's sleep. I'll do it, and I'll get Spock to help me if I have to."

_His quarters._ Kirk rubs his shoulder suddenly aware of the exhaustion that has set into his muscles. Yes, he should go lie down, but in his quarters he would sleep. He would dream, and there would be nightmares.

The distinguished Captain of one of Starfleet's most prestigious ships has three great secrets. The first - nightmares so terrible that that he wakes up retching some nights from the terrible physical and emotional pain he endures under the control of his subconscious mind. It could end his career if it were common knowledge by casting doubt on whether he was were for duty. It could rip him from his crew and friends and that frightens Kirk. That is his first secret, but not the worst.

So far he has managed to keep mention of this problem out of the psych evaluations. The trade-off however is dealing with Bones acting like a mother-hen when it comes to his health and stress levels. Kirk doesn't want to go back to his quarters, but he does want to get out from under McCoy's examining eyes.

Kirk pivots on the heels of his boots and begins walking in the opposite direction of the bridge.

McCoy stumbles in surprise. "Jim, where are you going? The bridge is that way!"

Kirk waves him off. "I thought I might save you some trouble by going to see Spock about those guards that you want him to sic on me. Don't worry about it, Bones. I'm sure Spock will assign the very best men to the task."

"Pfft! Dammit, Jim." McCoy snorted as the Captain chases after his First Officer. "I am sure he will,"

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**Author's Note:**

Hope you enjoyed Part 1! I'm pretty new to Star Trek so hopefully the characters weren't too OOC.

Also, my apologies if you just weren't digging the 3rd person present. I've been experimenting with POVs lately as a writing exercise and 3rd person present has been something of an Everest. What did you think? If you totally hated it, that's okay too. I would love to hear your feedback.

This fic will be completed in two parts. I'll get right to work on the next part. Thanks so much for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek or any of these characters. They are the property of Gene Rodenberry, Paramount, and Max Ehrlich who wrote the episode of TOS that inspired this fic. Suggested slash ahead. So if you do not care about Kirk & Spock being adorable, these are not the droids you're looking for. (Yeah, yeah. It's probably some sort of sacrilege to make a Star Wars joke here, but oh well! ;p )

**My First Officer is the Devil: Part 2**

By jogging, Kirk manages to catch up to the long-legged Vulcan.

"Can I help you, Captain," Spock asks without a break in his stride.

"Spock, I had a thought," Kirk declares and his voice fills the hallway with its largess.

"Oh? Fascinating and quite shocking really."

"Spock!" Kirk says shocked by the barb. "Do I detect some insubordination?"

"Have you returned to active duty, Sir?" Spock says as he punches in the access code to his quarters.

"No."

"Then there was no insubordination, Captain."

Kirk glares. "I fail to see your point."

"If you have not been cleared to return to duty, then there can be no insubordination." The automatic door slides open, but Spock does not enter. He turns to his captain and blocks the entrance with his tall frame. "Is there something that I might help you with, Captain? I was under the impression that Doctor McCoy's orders were for you to get some rest."

"Oh I couldn't possibly sleep right now. There is something about multiple near-death experiences that will do that to a man."

"Captain, I believe it was I who was nearly struck down by Vaal on Gamma Trianguli VI. Not you."

"Right and that's why we should both be playing a game of chess right now, Mr. Spock. " He lays a hand on Spock's chest and tries to push his First Officer through the doorway; however, Spock stays firmly rooted in place.

_Damn. _Everything about the Vulcan race is infuriating today - from their height to their blasted super-human strength._ Dammit to hell. _Kirk fumes.

Kirk knows that he should really get some sleep. His body is begging for it, but one game of chess won't hurt. It will take his mind of things long enough to fall asleep, he reasons. Hopefully.

"I think you should go to bed, Captain."

Kirk can feel his hand begin to tremble where it rests above the place where Spock's heart would be if he were human. He looks up at his First Officer and wonders how to make him understand. "This is an order, Mr. Spock." The captain says while his eyes are dull without the spark of his usual mischief.

Spock does not move immediately. He studies the captain and finally let's out a long breath before moving aside. It's not quite a sigh, but it is as much emotion as Spock allows himself to show in front of others.

Kirk charges into Spock's room merrily and throws himself down into his usual seat. "That's more like it, Spock. I knew you would see reason."

"There is nothing reasonable about you, Captain." Spock says and rubs the bridge of his nose.

Kirk grins feeling his old fire returning. He rests his elbow on the table and rests his chin on his fist. "Something wrong? Am I bothering you?"

Spock's hand drops to his side limply. "Not at all, Captain. Annoyance is a human emotion, as you well know." True to form, Spock is able to say this without hint of irritation in his features or voice. "If you'll excuse me, I need to relieve myself before we start our game." He withdraws to the adjoining room that is the lavatory.

Kirk reclines in his chair and stretches his legs out across the table, scattering a pile of disks that are stacked in a neat and exact manner.

Spock does not return quickly, and it is absolutely silent in the Vulcan's quarters.

"What _the devil _is taking so long?" Kirk says and his phrasing is no slip of the tongue.

There is a loud thud from the lavatory like the sound of something getting punched.

Kirk raises an eyebrow. " Spock? Is everything okay in there."

Spock returns massaging the knuckles on his right hand. "Everything is fine, Captain. There is no need to worry." He retrieves the chess set and places it on the table which forces Kirk to remove his feet and dusty boots. Spock then walks behind Kirk and begins to fiddle with a lock on the cabinet. Kirk turns to ask if he can help, but Spock lays a hand on his shoulder. "Stay seated, Captain. You will only be in my way. I just need to retrieve something before we can begin our game."

Kirk shrugs and occupies himself with the chess board. Spock would surely win tonight given Kirk's level of exhaustion and anxiety, but nevertheless, Kirk is still excited to play. There been so few opportunities to play lately, and he missed these times with his friend.

He sees a band of blue in his peripheral vision as Spock reaches over Kirk's shoulder and sets a bottle of Terran brandy on the table.

Kirk blinks. This is new. He didn't realize that his First Officer kept alcohol in his quarters. Vulcans, as he understood it, found alcohol abhorrent as it impaired one's judgment, inhibitions, and mental facilities. "Mr. Spock?" He turns his head, and finds that Spock's face is right in front of his own. They are just inches apart. It seems to Kirk that his heart beats a little more loudly. It's damn annoying, but hopefully Spock does not notice.

"Drink, Jim." Spock says and his voice carries a measure of command in it. "You look like you need it."

The Vulcan pushes a glass towards the captain, and his thumb accidentally gets caught under the hem of Kirk's sleeve when he does so. For a millisecond their skin touches and something like static shock passes between them when Spock's innate telepathic abilities kick-in. Kirk quickly swipes the glass up off the table, breaking the contact between them and pours himself a glass.

"Will you join me, Mr. Spock?" He asks politely although he already knows the answer.

However, Spock surprises Kirk for a second time that day. There is a glass already in his hand, and after the captain has served himself, Spock pours his own glass.

However, the Vulcan does not sit; he takes his glass and retreats to the far wall of the cabin.

_Stranger and stranger still_. Kirk muses. "I did not think you drank, Mr. Spock. My sincerest apologies. To think of all the fun we might have had when we stopped at Titan…it almost brings a tear to my eye. The casinos, Spock. And the women..."

"That is quite all right, Captain." Spock stops him both with a hard look indicating that he's is nearly annoyed…for a Vulcan that is. "I have no interest in any of those activities."

"Then wouldn't you call your behavior right now somewhat… illogical?" Kirk says slyly and hides his smile behind a long sip of brandy. The drink burns. Kirk has to fight to make it go down and wins. Captain Kirk has learned two important things today. First, that his First Officer is not above drinking and debasing himself likely a lowly human, and second, that his science officer favors a very strong poison.

"Quite the contrary, Captain. Alcohol has certain anesthetic properties, and you are well aware that in the last 48 hours, that I have endured physical injury that would have otherwise completely incapacitated a less evolved species. However, despite my physiological advantages, I cannot claim to be feeling my best right now, and a drink is perhaps just what the doctor would have ordered."

In truth, Bones just might do that, but Spock's words bring the events on Gamma Trianguli VI rushing back to Kirk like a tsunami. He is on his feet instantly and nearly breaks the glass when he slams it down on the table. "My god Spock, if you are injured then you should be down in Sick Bay! I can't have my First Officer down for any length of time because of his own pig-headedness."

Spock raises his empty hand and motions for Kirk to sit back down. "Calm yourself, Captain. I am aware of my limits. There is nothing much the matter with me that a good night's sleep will not restore, and I am well aware that Doctor McCoy is also at the limits of exhaustion."

"He is?"

"Yes, Captain. So I would prefer to handle this matter myself if you don't mind."

Kirk falls back into his chair with a heavy thud. _Great, now I have more reason to feel guilty._ I've gone and messed up Bones too. Kirk finishes his glass with one sip and pours himself another.

"You should go easy on that, Captain. That is a very fine brandy, and perhaps not one that you should be drinking quite so liberally."

Kirk glares at Spock and as if to prove a point, downs his second glass in a gulp. "Now you listen here, Mister. There is no way I'll be beaten by whatever it is you consider to be a strong beverage. You don't even drink." A third glass is poured. "Besides, you started this. Deal with it, damn devil. Instead of an apple, you've brought brandy." Kirk murmurs into his glass.

Spock abruptly turns away from Kirk. He is leaning against the wall showing only his profile to the captain. It is dark on his side of the room causing the shadows to fall heavily on his pale skin. It accentuates his pointed ears, his angular cheekbones, and his glossy black hair. In this light, he really does look like some sort of devil, Kirk thinks.

"How much do you actually know about the devil, Captain?"

It was a perfect opening. In seconds, Kirk has ten different quips ready to deliver, but before Kirk settles on one, he takes a good look at his First Officer. Spock's arms are crossed in front of him, and his shoulders are rolled forward. He really does look tired, Kirk observes, and the observation moves the captain towards restraint.

"Some. He was the antagonist of several archaic religions of Earth and known by many different names. In popular culture he was commonly pictured as a red-skinned monster with pointed ears and oftentimes a tail."

"As you can see, Captain, I have no tail."

"Spock. Earlier…I didn't mean to offend –" but Kirk is cut off by another wave of Spock's hand.

The Vulcan takes a sip from his glass before speaking again. "It is as you say, Captain, and more. Tthe red-skinned hobgoblin, as Doctor McCoy might say, was only one of Satan's guises. The snake from the Genesis story is another, but there is one other form that the devil has taken during the course of human history, Captain. I think you would find that story most intriguing."

"Then please, enlighten me, Mr. Spock!" Kirk says as he finishes his fourth shot. He is starting to feel light headed, but that does not stop him from pouring a fifth glass. Everything is just starting to feel good again. The brandy lights a fire in his blood and clouds his mind so that the bad memories cannot reach him. He wants to stay here trading barbs with Spock and listening to stories.

"Before he became a snake and a creature of the earth, the devil served in heaven as first among God's angels. His achievements were glorious and numerous. He blazed like the sun and for that he was called Lucifer, the Morning Star. "

"So what happened to him?"

"He was as proud as he was beautiful, Captain. One day Lucifer decided that it was not enough to simply serve, and he demanded that God recognize him for his accomplishments. He was cast out of heaven for his ambition, Captain, and left, abandoned on Earth by his creator. I'm wondering what you think about that story, Captain."

Kirk thinks about it for a while. "I don't like it." He finally slurs. "It seems unjust."

"Of course you would think that," Spock says and finally turns toward Kirk. "Why wouldn't you? You are a man with a strong sense of ambition, a Captain with an unparalleled record and reputation. How could you not sympathize with a devil like that?"

"Wait a minute." Kirk says as the pieces fall into place. "Wait a minute, you are doing it again!"

"Excuse me, Captain?" Spock says but Kirk notices that the Vulcan takes a quick sip from his glass afterwards. _Did he just try and hide an emotion?_

"You are casting me in the role of the devil again!" Kirk accuses and points a finger at Spock.

Spock locks eyes with his Captain. "Yes. I am." He says.

"Impossible! That means you lied in front of McCoy."

"Yes, Captain." Spock repeats. "So either I am lying now or I was lying then. Which would you prefer?"

Kirk rubs his eyes with the heels of his hands. "This is inconceivable. How? Why? I didn't think Vulcan's lied. You said they couldn't."

Spock walks toward Kirk and takes his seat at the table. "We do not like to lie, but that does not mean that I am unable to. Furthermore, it was necessary to do so earlier. There were ensigns underfoot, and I judged it best that the junior crewmen not hear a senior officer call their captain a devil. So yes, I lied or rather, I failed to explain the full meaning of my original statement since when I made the Genesis analogy, I was including the actions of myself and Dr. McCoy. However, it is true that among all the men aboard the Enterprise, it is you, Captain that is most like Lucifer."

Kirk looks at Spock dumbfounded. "First you lie to me and then you call me the devil…again. This is insubordination. I don't care what you say. Twice in one day! What has gotten in to you? Why it's enough to make me think that you really have been possessed by some demonic force, Spock."

Spock slams hand on the table and rises to his feet. His hand still lays flat on the tabletop and he leans across the gap towards Kirk. "Captain, all evening you have been baiting me with a particular line of teasing. You are purposefully connecting the physiological differences of my Vulcan heritage with forces that are often portrayed as sub -human and evil in your human culture. This is something I expect and tolerate from Doctor McCoy; however, it is unlike you. So what is really the matter?"

"No, I don't want to discuss it." Kirk says and reaches for his glass. Shock compounded on shock. Spock had read him like a book, but the confrontation was bringing all the unwelcomed emotions back.

Spock swats the glass out of Kirk's hand. The glass goes flying and shatters against the wall. The sound breaks through the fog of brandy Kirk has surrounded himself with. The full weight of its destruction comes bearing down on Kirk and along with it, all of his guilt.

"You have had enough." Spock says.

Kirk spins his chair away from Spock and drops his head into his hands. "Leave me alone, Spock." He knows it's stupid even as he says it. After all, he was the aggressor in of all this. How did I lose control so completely? That damn brandy was a trap.

A faint chime echoes throughout the cabin announcing that someone is at the door. Kirk can hear Spock's heavy footfalls as he moves to answer it. There is a quiet, muffled exchange with a female crew-member who overheard the noise and is checking to make sure everything is okay. Spock dismisses her and comes to stand besides Kirk.

"Captain, you really should talk about it. Humans, unlike we Vulcans, do not have the mental disciplines to block their feelings. It will come back to haunt you, and based on my observations of your species, usually at the worst possible time."

"I don't want to, Spock." Kirk says into the palms of his hand. He feels a light touch on his knee and slowly lifts his eyes over his fingertips.

Spock has taken one knee and is eye level with him. "Jim. You must."

"I-I can't." Kirk stammers. He can feel his shoulders shaking. He can't say the words, but in his head, he hears them. _It's all my fault! _Four men dead because he didn't stop to fully consider the situation.

Kirk is barely aware that he's doing it, but he reaches out slowly with his hand and lays his fingertips on Spock's neck.

Spock winces unprepared for the physical contact. Kirk can feel the muscles in Spock's neck suddenly tighten so he lets his arm fall limp at his side, breaking the contact so as not to cause his friend further mental injury.

"Sorry. I'm sorry. I can't, Spock. Don't make me say it." Kirk pleads.

His First Officer's breathing is uneven, but otherwise he does not appear hurt or upset. "I understand, Captain." Spock says and raises his so that it hovers above Kirks forehead. "Please, allow me to comfort you in this way, Captain. You will not have to say anything."

Kirk nods and hates the fact that his stomach tightens into a worried knot. Although he has seen Spock do this before, it will be his first time experiencing the Vulcan mind-meld. It is a grueling, and upsetting ordeal for any Vulcan who are a private and reserved race. He should say "no". He should not be so willing to put his friend through this, but Kirk, being who he is, allows it. _Because I am selfish._

Spock raises his hand slowly, giving the captain plenty of time to say "no", to stop this, but Kirk remains silent. His hands are folded in his lap and his head tilts forward, dropping towards the ground like a withering flower. Spock's fingers are cold when they touch the captain's forehead, but Kirk has only moments to register that fact before their mental connection is established.

It hits him like a wall of ice, Spock's emotions. It is not surprising to discover that Spock has emotions. Kirk has seen them before hiding beneath the surface of Spock's deliberate countenance. He has exploited them on occasion, in jest, but what is surprising is the strength of those emotions. They are not a whisper but a typhon, and this is what his First Officer represses behind decades of mental discipline? Unbelievable.

_Do not read into this too deeply, Captain._ Spock's familiar voice is speaking directly to his mind. Simultaneously, the winds die and the two-way connection between them is deadened when Spock sets up whatever walls the Vulcans have practiced for these instances.

Kirk is again left with only his own thoughts and this brings on a sharp pang of sadness.

When he tries to think of other things. Booze. Women. Happy memories from his childhood or the commendations he's received for his excellent military service, he finds that he cannot turn his thoughts away from the events of the last forty-eight hours. Spock is in command and rifles through the many memories and feelings Kirk has stored up since Gamma Trianguli VI.

And it doesn't end there.

Like all states of emotional distress, the root of the problem generally flows backwards in time. At lightning speeds, Spock searches, pulling forth a full confession from Kirk of all his secrets. And it's not just about the nightmares. Oh no. Secrets two and three come to light. Kirk is mortified by his compulsory reveal of the second secret. That his friendship with Spock is the most meaningful relationship he's ever had in his life.

Had Kirk been in more control of himself, he may have noticed a hint of amusement that leaks through the walls Spock has set up around his own emotions. However, had Kirk been in control, none of this would have been necessary.

Finally, it ends. It feels like being slapped across the face when the connection is severed.

"Captain," Spock begins to say, but a heavy pause follows. Kirk searches Spocks's face for some sign of anger or condemnation. There is none. "I know now that no matter what I tell you, you will not forgive yourself for the deaths of those men. I can only hope to assure you that in time, if you will allow it, this pain will not be so acutely felt. The human mind is imperfect. Your memories will eventually fade. It may also ease your mind to know that you have made a full confession here of all your sins, and as your First Officer, I find you no less desirable a commander for the Enterprise. There is nothing, in my estimation, that warrants your removal as Captain."

For a moment, Kirk's tawny eyes blaze. "I will not forget, Spock." But the moment passes, and they grow dull and mournful once more.

Spocks eyebrows do a peculiar thing. They furrowed in the front either out of deep contemplation or pity. "It is ironic that it is Lucifer who suffers most from his descent into Eden in this narrative." He says and lays a comforting hand on Kirks forearm.

"Spock. Spock I shouldn't have gone down to that planet." Kirk murmurs looking at the floor.

"I know, Captain. I know. "

**Author's Note:** All done and I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for the reviews WerewovlesAreReal, Mystical G Panther, and Satin Ragdoll! I really appreciate it. J


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